With
a new school year well underway at Chiropractic USA we are educating our community
on the importance of Back Pack Safety. We work with students, parents, teachers,
and administrators preventing spinal problems that can lead to long term health
problems.
Our office joins thousands of healthcare
providers throughout North America in helping school age children learn how to
use backpacks properly. There is growing evidence that backpacks are a threat
to proper spinal development. Young children are suffering from back pain much
earlier than previous generations and the overweight backpack is a contributing
factor. It has been reported that with
continued overuse the potential damage to the spine from back pack includes not
only back pain, but numbness in hands, muscle wasting, and even nerve damage is
possible.
Choose Right. Choose a backpack for safety and comfort, with
padding in the back and shoulders. A backpack should also have a strap around
waist for extra support. Look for pockets or compartments inside backpack to
help evenly distribute weight across the back. Reflective strips are a great
way to increase visibility at night.
Pack Right.
The maximum weight of the loaded backpack should not exceed 15 % of your body
weight. Pack only what is needed for the day. If the backpack forces the wearer
to lean forward to carry; it's overloaded.
Lift Right.
Use these steps for proper lifting to prevent injury:
1. Face the backpack
2. Bend the knees
3. Using both
hands , check the weight of backpack
4. Lift with your
legs
5. Use both
straps over both shoulders
Wear it Right.
Tighten both straps to make shoulder snug, but not too tight. When the backpack
has waist strap, use it to stabilize load. Make sure to wear the pack higher up
on back rather than hanging to low which causes low back stress. Preventing
spinal stress early in life is one of the best things you can do to ensure long
term spinal health.
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